Question 98 from UPSC CSE 2021 - Modern History

Question

In the first quarter of the seventeenth century, in which of the following was/were the factory/factories of the English East India Company located?
1. Broach
2. Chicacole
3. Trichinopoly
Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Accepted Answer

Correct Option: A. 1 only

Strategy: Focus on the specified timeline of the first quarter of the 17th century (1601–1625).
- Recall the early English East India Company (EIC) locations, particularly in Gujarat, where Broach was established.
- Eliminate Chicacole and Trichinopoly as they were not EIC factory sites during this period.
- Conclude that '1 only' (Broach) is the correct answer based on this chronological and factual analysis.

Key Info: **Background on the English East India Company (EIC)**

The EIC was chartered in 1600 by Queen Elizabeth I, granting it monopoly trading rights for the East Indies. The company initially focused on the western coast of India.

**Early Factories (First Quarter of the 17th Century)**

By 1619, early factories (trading settlements) were established at:
- Surat (1612)
- Broach (Bharuch, Gujarat)
- Ahmedabad
- Agra

These were managed under the Surat presidency. Broach was a crucial port on the Narmada River and an important center for trade in the early 17th century.

**Analysis of Other Locations**

- **Chicacole (now Srikakulam):** This location became significant for European powers only during the mid-18th century, well after the period in question. It was not an English factory town in the early 1600s.
- **Trichinopoly (now Tiruchirappalli):** There was no EIC factory established here in the first quarter of the 17th century. The area was under regional kingdoms' control and became a focal point much later, during the Carnatic Wars.

**Summary**

The company's expansion to eastern and southern seaboards, including sites like Masulipatam (1611) and Armagaon (1626), accelerated after 1650. Among the locations listed, only Broach was an operational English factory in the first quarter of the 17th century.

Answer

Option B: 1 and 2

Answer

Option C: 3 only

Answer

Option D: 2 and 3

In the first quarter of the seventeenth century, in which of the following was/were the factory/factories of the English East India Company located? Broach Chicacole Trichinopoly Select the correct answer using the code given below.

In the first quarter of the seventeenth century, in which of the following was/were the factory/factories of the English East India Company located?

Broach

Chicacole

Trichinopoly
Select the correct answer using the code given below.